Pogacar win "would be a miracle, but anything is possible" - Johan Bruyneel on Pogacar, van der Poel, van Aert and Ganna's chances in Roubaix

Paris-Roubaix is one of the most highly anticipated races of the year and throughout the entire week little else has been on the mind of fans and riders alike. With a vast array of contenders for the victory in northern France, Johan Bruyneel has shared his opinion on a few.

On Mathieu van der Poel, he believes his chances are higher than last week's in Flanders due to the lack of climbing. "I thought he would at least be able to stay with Pogacar. But that was not the case, so I was wrong. But I don't think I will be wrong this week," Bruyneel said in the Outcomes podcast. "I think his pride was hurt after Pogacar dropped him".

Van der Poel is an absolute specialist in this race and has a great track record with two wins in the past two years, whilst teammate Jasper Philipsen was second in both. "He has a strong team, knows the race, and has won it twice. And when it comes to technique on the cobblestones, he is the best in the world."

On Visma's side, he is quite positive that Wout van Aert can also leave a good mark in the Hell of the North. "Wout will be stronger on Sunday than last Sunday. I think he is just reaching his peak and has gained a lot of self-confidence".

On the heavyweight Filippo Ganna, eighth in Flanders and third in a mythical Sanremo: "He is in great shape, and let's not forget: he is extremely fast. He also has the most experience on the track of all of them. He will not be watched as closely as van der Poel and van Aert. Last week, he was already on the breakaway before the top riders started, so why not?"

However behind all the favourites will remain the doubt of the unexpected, which can happen at any time during the race. "Of course, there is another element in Paris-Roubaix. No one can predict it, and no one can plan for it. There will be people with bad luck, crashes, flat tires, and material problems."

And of course, the World Champion must be mentioned: "We can no longer ignore Pogacar. He can do anything. It would be a miracle, but anything is possible in his first participation. He did ride Paris-Roubaix as a junior, but you can't compare the two."

The Slovenian is obviously a victory contender, but only during the race will it be possible to see how much of an impact his attacks will have without the presence of climbs in the race. "He can win. When you see how he flies over the cobblestones... He is a bit of an underdog. If he wins, great. But if he doesn't win, who cares? That's an advantage. There are only a few guys he has to watch out for. They are Van der Poel, Van Aert, Pedersen and Ganna."